Looking for Stereo Preamp w/ XLR outputs

[Vintage57]

Looking for simple preamp with Toslink input and XLR outputs. Remote would be bonus.
Want to run tv through active speakers and only output from tv is Toslink
Suggestions appreciated.
Thanks

 

[SuicideSquid]

Budget?

Topping DX5 is totally transparent and has TOSLINK in and XLR out with a remote, plus high-quality headphone amplification.

https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/...dsd512-pcm-32bit768khz-high-performance-audio

If you don't need the headphone amp, SMSL has this DAC/Preamp for about half the price:

https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/...khz-32-bit-dsd512-decoder-with-remote-control

Both have been tested and received strong recommendations from Amir.

 

[Vintage57]

Budget, good question. $1,000. CAD.

 

[SuicideSquid]

Budget, good question. $1,000. CAD.

Is all you're doing running the TOSLINK out from your TV and wanting something to decode the digital signal and act as a preamp to your active speakers? If that's all you need you don't need to spend $1,000 - both options linked above will give you effectively perfect sound reproduction, TOSLINK in, balanced XLR/TRS out, and a remote.

 

[radix]

Quite a few preamps now have an HDMI eARC input, which could be used instead of toslink.

 

[Vintage57]

Quite a few preamps now have an HDMI eARC input, which could be used instead of toslink.

I agree but the tv only has a Toslink output for audio

 

[radix]

You could try the Topping DX5 ($350 USD) or E70 ($450 USD). Both have volume control with usb/coax/toslink input and balaned/se outputs. I think they both also have BT input.

I think the DX5 is about the low-end of topping with a volume control, balanced out, and toslink in.

There's a bunch of other brands that would have similar products.

 

[Kimbrough Xu]

Budget, good question. $1,000. CAD.

You think $1000 CAD is budget?

 

[driftmichael]

Quite a few preamps now have an HDMI eARC input, which could be used instead of toslink.

Do you know of any eARC preamps with XLR or other balenced outputs

 

[radix]

a few of the Matrix Audio preamps (they call them streamers) have ARC and XLR outputs. There's also some from NAD (M51, maybe others). Minidsp Flex HT. Brystron.

I'm not sure if all (or any) of those are specifically eARC vs pain ARC. The minidsp flex ht is supposed to be eARC.

 

[JLGF1]

You think $1000 CAD is budget?

Budget as in upper limit, not budget as in cheap.

If for any reason EQ would be desired, these are often available pre-owned for less than $1K. But, one of the other options plus an external EQ might still be cheaper.